Can you believe another 5 weeks have already passed since we released our 600th TWIP video? Time does fly when you are having fun and there has been a lot of that to be had this last week. An epic battle between two zebra stallions had our hearts in our throats, the two males holding nothing back as they reared and snapped at one another.
It’s been a lousy week for warthogs; the Senegal Bush Male managed to take one down but soon lost his prize to a marauding hyena. Then the Ntomi Male managed to take an absolute behemoth of a warthog boar down, highlighting that he is indeed becoming a formidable adult, only to lose it to the Skorro Young Male, the new lion on the block that we are all watching with great interest as he is the only single male in a sea of two-brother coalitions. At the sight of this carcass, not 50m away the Ntomi Male then faced down a curious hyena that had come to investigate and sent him packing.
The aloes are in full bloom and that means fun for anyone with the patience to sit and wait for any of the myriad beautiful sunbirds to arrive to gather the delicious nectar within. Ranger Kelsey Clark is featured with a massive grin on her face as the Ntomi Male perches atop a termite mound behind.
The Wild dogs have been about and that means chaos all around as the Toulon pack of 22-odd members screams across through various clearings, shuffling various herbivores off of this mortal coil. The Ntsevu Pride is back with very full bellies after a week-long absence, their cubs had us gasping with delight at their pugnacity. A Southern Ground Hornbill investigates a termite mound, a reedbuck stares down the lens and a hippo shows off his weaponry in spectacular style.
Let us know your favourites in the comments section below.
Enjoy This Week in Pictures…
The Ximungwe Female cleans her claws on a fallen marula tree.
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
The sunbirds are out in full force. Here, a White-bellied Sunbird reaches back to dabble in the delicious nectar of a flowering aloe.
Almost time to hunt.
An enthusiastic greeting to the sire of these young cubs, a Ndzhenga Male looks down at one of the Ntsevu Cubs.
Not right now…
A Southern Ground Hornbill gains the height advantage of a termite mound in its never-ending search for prey.
Two zebra stallions in a battle royal for a nearby herd of females.
One stallion rears in an attempt to gain the advantage over the other, canines flashing in the sun.
The Xinzele Female shows off her agility.
A small female often found in NW Marthly. Similar spot pattern to her mother the Ingrid Dam Female.
Now time to rest.
The Xinzele Young Female stares off in the direction of her mother who at this point was busy avoiding the interruption of her feeding on an impala carcass by an unknown mating pair of other leopards!
Best of friends sharing a drink together, the buffalo and ride-along-companion, a Yellow-billed Oxpecker.
The Skorro Male stares intently into the lens.
A reedbuck! A very rare antelope found only in the deep southwestern regions of the reserve.
Not happy with the intruder, the Ntomi Male bares his teeth at an approaching hyena.
A single cub of the Ximungwe Female's second litter. Initially rather skittish but is very relaxed now. Birth mark in his left eye.
Stare down.
A very happy ranger. Kelsey Clark enjoys the view.
The Skorro Male cleaning his claws on a combretum.
A contemplative stare at the Skorro Male Lion who was currently sitting on this young male’s warthog kill.
This hyena had just robbed the Senegal Bush Male who sat nearby full-bellied and reluctant to have to fight to retrieve the remains of his warthog kill.
This is my swamp!
A Tawny Eagle poses atop a dead knob thorn, making for a great high-key opportunity.
Greeting mum.
A young male, one of the Ntsevu Breakaway Pride, pauses to drink as they trail the large herd of buffalo just to the South of them.
The pride managed to isolate two bulls but after a manic 15 minutes of trying, they were ultimately forced to give up the chase.
Brilliant collection of photos this week Kyle! Having to choose a favorite each week is difficult as there are so many that are first place worthy. Saying this, after careful consideration, I love the Ndhzenga male staring at his cub. It certainly tells a story….
Wonderful collection of photos, Kyle.
Hi, fantastic pictures of the fighting stallions! But I agree with Denise, as I prefer family to violence, “Father and Son” is a favourite of mine. The Ntomi male is such a cool guy! The redback is absolutely lovely. To close I’m glad there’s a hippo showing off, I’ve always like them, so round and funny-looking but incredibly strong, able to cut a crocodile in two, and great vegetable eaters!
Such a wonderful array, Kyle. The zebras, Southern ground hornbill and reedbuck stand out.
Sorry, reedbuck! The automatic correction always changes my word
It is always so difficult to pick a favorite among so many stellar images. This week my favorite is Ndzhenga Male looks down at one of the Ntsevu Cubs. The composition and the use of black & white are just marvelous. Well done Kyle!
Beautiful photos this week! As always the cats were in abundance….but the light on their faces and eyes were really gorgeous!
I somewhat embarrassedly admit that given a choice between a leopard and Kelsey Clark to focus on, I also would have focused on Kelsey!
I love the Skorro male staring at the camera. I imagine the stallion battle was nerve racking to watch. I’ve been nipped by my horses on a few occasions and the idea of a full blown chomp to the neck makes me cringe. The reedbuck was an exciting addition. I don’t recall ever having seen one featured here before. Thank you for the lunch break distraction!
Kyle, great pictures this week as always. Thanks for sharing. The never ending battle between for mating rights is certainly on display.
My favorite pictures this week are zebras fighting. amazing shots!
Hi Kyle, I must say my favorite this week is the rare reedbuck. Such a beautiful buck and you are lucky if you see one of them. The Ndhzenga male looks quite grumpy as he looks at his cub. Stunning foto’s this week and a good variety.
Great week! Always impressed with the Ntomi Male…cannot believe how close he and the hyena were! Brave boy! Fave pics have to be tho greeting mum and Not right now! 🙂 Love it!
Incredible TWIP Kyle!! So much diversity all around. Impossible to choose just one!!
Great series as usual. We met the Skorro Male twice during our recent visit to Londolozi. He is a beautiful male. Hope he sticks around for a bit!
Excellent photos and post. The Skorro male photos is gorgeous. What a lion!
What a splendid TWIP, Kyle – thank you so much. As always, there are so many favourites, it makes it very tricky to chose one. In this case, it’s the duelling zebra that get my vote. That must have been absolutely amazing to witness.
Great selection of photos, Kyle – makes it difficult again to pick a winner. Think I’ll go for Xinzele showing her agility in the tree, as it’s always nice to see a leopard on the move!
Super photos, I love the Sunbird photo
Fabulous collection of photos, loved them all.
Wow – what an incredible collection of moments. Love the zebra battle – so often they are caught in a docile pose – so this more aggressive aspect is wonderful to see.
I confess though – I am partial to the Xinzele female and her young offspring – they are simply beautiful leopards. Your image of her in the tree is just gorgeous – the way the light is dappling her coat – stunning! If I am not mistaken, our family was there at the same time that image of the young female was caught (with Matt, Terence and Jerry – what a team – miss them!) – so exciting to see her in the images! She was so intent on watching, it made a wonderful moment to get some stunning shots of her posed so beautifully on the rocks. It was very cool to go and find what had been holding her attention – and probably her mother’s ire – the unknown male leopard who had stolen her kill!
Your image of the young male drinking is a really striking image – the starkness of the black and white really seems to bring out a sense of quiet watchfulness, and even a little menace – it’s an amazing shot.
The colours in the image of the sunbird drinking from the aloe are beautiful – charming and whimsical!
Every image evokes some amazing emotions and moods – thanks so much for such diverse collection!